This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke has attracted interest from Blackburn Rovers.
According to Sussex World, the Championship club are eyeing a potential move to bring the Dutchman back to Ewood Park for the remainder of this season.
Here we ask our FLW writers their verdict on whether the 22-year old would be a good addition to Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side…
James Reeves
A move for van Hecke makes perfect sense for Blackburn.
The 22-year-old proved he was more than capable of performing reliably at Championship level at Ewood Park last season and he would slot back in seamlessly at club he will be familiar with.
Jon Dahl Tomasson is understandably in the market for defensive reinforcements. His side have conceded 35 goals this season which is among the most in the top half, underlining the need for greater solidity which van Hecke could provide the answer to.
Van Hecke is clearly highly-rated at Brighton after being handed his first start in the Premier League at the weekend and he would be an important asset to Tomasson in Rovers' promotion push.
With their pursuit of Ryan Porteous looking increasingly challenging, van Hecke's return would be a timely boost.
Brett Worthington
You can understand why they are interested once again.
Jan Paul van Hecke showed last season at Ewood Park what a good player he is, and at this level, he fitted right into the Blackburn team. Rovers have shown in the last few weeks that they are starting to become vulnerable at the back, so you can understand why the Lancashire outfit are looking for defensive reinforcements and why they have turned to van Hecke.
The Dutchman was a consistent performer last season and played a big role in Blackburn’s season last year. He is a player that can dominate in the air and show his physical presence, and he can also be tidy with the ball at his feet as he has shown, something that could make him fit into Jon Dahl Tomasson’s team this campaign.
However, him starting in Brighton’s game against Leicester City at the weekend and being in recent matchday squads means it could be a hard deal to do. But definitely, he would be a big signing for Blackburn, and one they are crying out for.
Declan Harte
Van Hecke was a solid player for Rovers last season and it makes sense that they would be in for him again.
The Dutchman is an impressive player and could be a really strong addition to Tomasson’s side, adding the strength in depth needed to compete for a top six position.
The 22-year old would be a good fit for the team given his all round game, which has him able to physically compete with the strongest attackers on the ground and in the air, as well as his on the ball abilities being a useful tool to have in possession.
His Brighton future remains up in the air, but perhaps a loan move could be what he needs to convince de Zerbi that he is ready for the step up to the Premier League.